Transport police Day

February 18, 1919 the Russian Central Executive Committee adopted a decree "On organization of the railway police and railway security”, and the Presidium of Central Executive Committee approved the" Regulations of the Workers' and Peasants’ railway police ". Since then this date is the official Day of transport police.

Transport police was established in Russia in early 19th century when the construction of railways and the development of rail transport complex required the provision of security of railway transportation and passengers.

In 1836, due to the construction of the Russia's first public railroad between St. Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo, was created a Separate Corps of Gendarmes. One of its divisions was the railway gendarmerie. In 1860s gendarmerie squads and teams were converted into police departments, and later gendarmerie departments of railroads. They carried out a police supervision over the construction and operation of railways in order to prevent sabotage, fought with the criminality, theft of cargo from rolling stock cars, with speculation and travel with no ticket.

The decree of 1919 facilitated the establishment of security system, which was responsible for keeping order and security of passengers and cargo, on railway, and later on sea and air transport. Initially, management of the transport police was based on a territorial basis. However, experience has proved the imperfection of the principle of territorial management and police units were established on every railway.

In 1938, the railway police units were subordinated to the General Directorate of Police.  After the Great Patriotic War transport police authorities was led by General Directorate of the Ministry of State Security (MGB) of USSR for transport.

In 1971, police units were created for air transport. Together with the police at the railway and water transport they represented a unified system of the transport police of the country.

In 1980, the transport police was transformed into a body of internal affairs for transport.

 

Lit.: История транспортной полиции России до 1919 года [Электронный ресурс] // Восточно-Сибирское линейное управление МВД России на транспорте. 2013. URL: http://vsut.mvd.ru/struktura/istoriya/istoriya_transport_policii.